HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series: Las Vegas Sevens Day one

The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series is now in Las Vegas, where fans have been spoilt already in one day out of three. There have been two pool games so far – with day two hosting one more pool match for all, and then the quarter-finals – and we’ve already seen a few intriguing results thrown up.

Samoa defeated last season’s series champions Fiji, who have struggled with a bug doing the rounds in the squad, pipping them 28-24. England, meanwhile, drew with Japan 19-19 and then lost to Scotland, 24-14. Indeed it was a day for draws, as hosts USA drew with Canada 26-26.

However, a lot of the headlines from day one will have been taken up by stand-out tries.

The first one to be aware of is this “coast-to-coast” score from Eagles flying machine Perry Baker. The man known as ‘Speed Stick’ went from one in-goal are to the other to take a magnificent try against North American rivals Canada.

And he is not the only Toulon Test star to be taking his first steps on a sevens field. Wallaby fly-half Quade Cooper had a trot around for Australia, who, like South Africa are two from two. He is enjoying himself, he says, but added on later in the day: “If you find a set of lungs at ‪Sam Boyd Stadium they are mine…”